National holiday: Independence Day, 26 March (1971)
Constitution: 4 November 1972, effective 16 December 1972, suspended following coup of 24 March 1982, restored 10 November 1986, amended many times
Legal system: based on English common law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Abdur Rahman BISWAS (since 8 October 1991);
election last held 8 October 1991 (next to be held by NA October
1996); results - Abdur Rahman BISWAS received 52.1% of parliamentary
vote
head of government: Prime Minister Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN (since 20
March 1991)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the president
Legislative branch: unicameral
National Parliament (Jatiya Sangsad): elections last held 27 February
1991 (next to be held by February 1996); results - percent of vote by
party NA; seats - (330 total, 300 elected and 30 seats reserved for
women) BNP 168, AL 93, JP 35, JI 20, BCP 5, National Awami Party
(Muzaffar) 1, Workers Party 1, JSD 1, Ganotantri Party 1, Islami Oikya
Jote 1, NDP 1, independents 3
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP),
Khaleda ZIAur RAHMAN; Awami League (AL), Sheikh Hasina WAJED; Jatiyo
Party (JP), Hussain Mohammad ERSHAD (in jail); Jamaat-E-Islami (JI),
Ali KHAN; Bangladesh Communist Party (BCP), Saifuddin Ahmed MANIK;
National Awami Party (Muzaffar); Workers Party, leader NA; Jatiyo
Samajtantik Dal (JSD), Serajul ALAM KHAN; Ganotantri Party, leader NA;
Islami Oikya Jote, leader NA; National Democratic Party (NDP), leader
NA; Muslim League, Khan A. SABUR; Democratic League, Khondakar
MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; Democratic League, Khondakar MUSHTAQUE Ahmed; United
People's Party, Kazi ZAFAR Ahmed
Member of: AsDB, C, CCC, CP, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM, OIC, SAARC, UN,
UNAMIR, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNOMIG, UNOMIL, UNOMOZ, UNOMUR,
UNOSOM, UNPROFOR, UNU, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in US: chief of mission: Ambassador Humayun KABIR chancery: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 342-8372 through 8376 consulate(s) general: New York